--- title: "Doctors Intrigued by Treatment That Makes Dead Brains Show Signs of Life" description: "Scientists were astonished to find that recirculating preserving agents through a severed pig's head caused its brain to show signs of life." date: "2024-11-29" modified: "2024-11-29" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/doctors-intrigued-brains-back-dead" categories: - "Developments" - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "brain" - "consciousness" - "death" --- # Doctors Intrigued by Treatment That Makes Dead Brains Show Signs of Life ![Scientists were astonished to find that recirculating preserving agents through a severed pig's head caused its brain to show signs of life.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* Scientists were astonished to find that recirculating a cocktail of preserving agents through a severed pig's head caused the animal's brain to show signs of life. As [*New Scientist* reports](), basic cellular functions were restored in the dismembered brain — something that was previously thought impossible following the cessation of blood flow. While the pig brain wasn't exactly oinking at the farm after the treatment, in scientifically significant ways it *was* seemingly brought back from the brink of death — a ghoulish experiment that could have implications for future efforts to reanimate a dead human brain as well. In fact, Yale School of Medicine neuroscientist Zvonimir Vrselja and his colleagues are looking to try the technique on human brains — efforts, needless to say, that could have thorny ethical ramifications. For one, the definition of when a person has died has [remained a lively debate]() among health practitioners. "We are trying to be transparent and very careful because there’s so much value that can come out of this," Vrselja told *New Scientist*. Some argue that death occurs when the heart stops beating. Others define it as the point when the brain's functions cease entirely. Things get murkier when you consider that neuroscientists [have already found]() that brain activity can extend far beyond cardiac arrest. In fact, research has found that the brain can even light up when the heart stops beating. "The dying brain actually starts this massive rescue effort," University of Michigan neuroscientist Jimo Borjigin told *New Scientist*. Borjigin found in a [2023 study]() that the brain "appeared to be on fire" after four dying people were taken off of life support. "If we can better understand what’s going on at this point, I believe we could resuscitate it," he added. Vrselja and his colleagues are at the forefront of those efforts, having developed a special drug cocktail called BrainEx that stops the brain from being damaged by the sudden surge of oxygen-rich blood following brain death. In a [2019 experiment]() involving pig brains, the researchers managed to bring some activity back four hours after decapitation. But even getting remotely near the point of consciousness with a donated human brain could have major ethical ramifications, forcing the team to tread carefully. "We had to develop new methods to make sure no electrical activity is occurring in an organized way that might reflect any kind of consciousness," Vrselja told *New Scientist*. For now, they're using their invention to test out treatments for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Similar techniques could also be used to prolong the shelf life of donor organs, which could save lives. **More on death:** *[Professor of Medicine Says Death Appears to Be Reversible]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()